Dad shares heartbreaking final message son left before he was killed by bear last week
On Wednesday (8 May), the body of Anthony Pollio was found in a densely wooded area of the Glacier National Park in Montana.
The 33-year-old had been missing since the Sunday after going hiking.
And a statement from the National Park Service, said the South Florida resident’s remains were found with injuries ‘consistent with those sustained by a bear encounter’.
Anthony was apparently discovered about 50 feet off a mountain trail. The Glacier National park is often referred to as ‘bear country’ due to having a dense population of grizzly bears (known as brown bears) with black bears also common.
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Search efforts began from the National Park Service on Monday, after his family had not heard from him. His last known message was to his dad, as he told him about his time on the Mount Brown Trial.
Arthur Pollio, told NBC6 on Saturday that Anthony had been on a two-week road trip with a friend to get to Montana before pulling ‘right into Glacier National Park’.
The hiker apparently went on an advanced trail and sent his last known text before disappearing.
"And he texted me that evening, he says, 'Dad, I'm hiking up a mountain. It's wild out here,'" Arthur recalled.
"He says, 'I love you, dad,' and that was the last message I received from him."
The father explained that it’s thought Anthony used ‘all of his bear spray’ as authorities apparently found that the area where he was found ‘was very odorous’ from it. Arthur also added that it’s believed to have been a grizzly bear attack.
And he believes his son fought right until the end as he added: “He was a warrior. He was a gladiator. He was a Viking.
"He would never give up."
The last bear-related human injury in the park occurred in August 2025 while the last deadly bear attack was in 1998 in the Two Medicine Valley.
“Wildlife and law enforcement personnel are currently assessing the area for bear activity and any ongoing public safety concerns,” the National Park Service said in its written statement.
It was also said that while the sequence of events remain under investigation, evidence suggests ‘that this was a surprise encounter’.
“The section of trail where the incident occurred has been temporarily closed while the investigation continues,” their statement continued.
“Park staff are working to determine next steps based on field assessments and wildlife behaviour monitoring.”
Jess Battison